


You Scare Them

by Ghostinthehouse



Series: Demon and Angel Professors [84]
Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Professors, Disabled Crowley (Good Omens), M/M, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-15
Updated: 2020-05-15
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:26:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24189613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ghostinthehouse/pseuds/Ghostinthehouse
Summary: "They all say Dr Crowley is evil and vicious," Lucille persisted.
Relationships: Aziraphale & Crowley (Good Omens), Aziraphale & Crowley (Good Omens) & Anathema Device, Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Series: Demon and Angel Professors [84]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1412962
Comments: 23
Kudos: 995
Collections: Aspec-friendly Good Omens





	You Scare Them

"They all say Dr Crowley is evil and vicious," Lucille persisted.

"They say a lot of things," Crowley said mildly.

Aziraphale sighed, and some of the tension went out of him, though as ever he retained his perfect posture. "You have to admit, my dear, you scare them silly."

The girl looked up at that, and nowhere near as close to fainting as she had earlier. "Why would you scare them? You were - kind - to me."

Crowley winced at the description, all the more because it was true. This kid was far too perceptive for comfort. He opted for giving her the terse summary and hoped she wouldn't probe too deeply. "I ran with a bad crowd when I was young and foolish. The reputation lingers."

Aziraphale gave a small, dry, chuckle. "You make sure that it lingers, dear. You like having that reputation."

"It's useful at times," Crowley allowed. He turned back to Lucille. "Do I need to point out how much people judge you by how you look?"

She had the grace to wince herself and turn her scarred cheek away from him. "Not really, no," she admitted.

He was sorry that she'd had to learn that lesson so young, but not that he was saved shattering someone's innocence to explain it. He nodded instead. "I don't fit the normative in any number of ways. They'd rather call me 'evil' than call themselves 'wrong'." He added a shrug and shifted, trying to ease the ache in his leg. "I'm a grumpy old sod with a sharp tongue and a face that makes almost every expression look harsh and grouchy. I'm never going to mistaken for soft and sweet, like he is." He angled his head at Aziraphale.

Anathema gave him a look that was nine-tenths stifled laughter and one part exasperation, and mouthed, " _She_ did," over the girl's shoulder.

"Almost never," he corrected himself. His leg chose that moment to spasm with cramp, and he gritted his teeth, face tightening despite his efforts to hide it.

***

Lucille watched the red-head shift uncomfortably in his seat, clearly uneasy with laying out the reasons he was seen as evil so openly. His admission that he was, just occasionally, seen as soft or sweet was made with gritted teeth. A harsh tightness settled onto his face that made her skin crawl just looking at it and set her seriously considering whether the rumours of his evilness were true after all. He hadn't appeared to be lying, only reluctant, but now he looked like he was about to bite vicously down on something - or someone. 

The fluffy one eyed his husband, exchanged a look with Dr Device, and asked, sweet and hard as a sugar mouse, "Does that satisfy you, my dear? All cleared up now?"

Lucille hesitated, because she had more questions - she always had questions - but she nodded anyway. There was absolutely no point in antagonising people who would have power over her for the next several years.

The corner of the red-head's mouth twitched upwards. "You have questions, I can tell. Do they need answering now, or will office hours do?"

Lucille looked down. She hadn't thought she was that obvious. "Office hours is fine," she said in a small voice, though where she was going to get them she had no idea. There didn't appear to be a single scrap of paper in the entire room.

He nodded. "I'll send them to you, ok?"

She nodded, surer on that front. They knew her student email, after all. It would probably come that way.

"All done?" the fluffy one asked again, waited for them to nod and then added, "Good," and shooed her and Dr Device out, closing the door behind them.

Lucille glanced back over her shoulder at the shut door hiding the pair from sight. "Is he safe?" she asked softly, and even to herself she wasn't sure which of the pair she was referring to.

Dr Device simply smiled. "They both are."


End file.
